County Record: Digital Edition

Penny Record: Digital Edition

The bulls were ready to buck

The bulls and bull riders matched up at the Texas Longhorn for another night of rides and wrecks. The action spanned rides equal of any pro rider anywhere, plus storms and wrecks that would have made the National Weather Service proud.

Josh Durant started the night out of chute number three with a great look. For about three seconds. Durant had good posture and command when the gate opened, but as his bull hesitated and nearly came to a complete stop, Durant fell apart. He slid off to the left side and hung up tight enough and long enough for bullfighter Bubba Tacker to move in for the first save of the night.

It would prove to be a long night for Tacker as five of the 11 riders would need his assistance.

Rider number two was Joey Johnson, resplendent in tiger striped chaps. His bobbed-horned, brindle bull was not impressed by either the dress or the fact that Johnson was on his back. The first move out of the chute was high and hard and Johnson folded, crumpled, and went off over the horns. Johnson made a one-legged landing and Tacker moved in to keep the bull off of the downed rider.

Timmy Faul had been making good rides the last few sessions, but this night was a tough luck ride for Faul. He bounced coming out of the chute and completely lost his legs. Without a good grip with the knees and heels, a rider needs to say a prayer; he is going, going, gone in less time than it takes to say it. Faul will be back next time and hopefully so will his command of the ride.

Randon Cherry is one of the riders that have been riding for nearly his whole life. He came up through the area youth rodeo scene and rode in college a short while. He is capable of making a ride at any time, just not this time. Cherry came out on the biggest bull of the night and looked good for a while. It appeared that he lost his seat and slid off the right side. He hit the dirt and crumpled and Tacker moved in for the save.

So far it was four out, four down. Then came Nathan Dupry.

Dupry is a good rider that has had some hard luck in the past. This night was a good match of bull and rider. Dupry came out of the chute looking good and hung on for some low bucks with hard landings and some fast spins. He stayed in control for the full eight seconds and when the buzzer sounded, the ever smiling Dupry had earned 80 points for the ride. That would be the high point ride and Dupry would put $366 in his pocket for the ride home.

Dillon McNeil followed Dupry. His black bull came out ready to fight and made a quick turn back in front of the chute. McNeil survived that and two jumps. A spin after the second jump was too much. The internal gyroscope did not function and McNeil ended up on the ground looking at the bull’s heels and below. Tacker distracted the bull. McNeil got up and went to the back of the chutes to put on his “goin’ home clothes.”

Josh Smith was next out. He almost did okay; until the bull ran to the fence. A scrape on the Prefiert panel was a little too much. It dislodged Smith’s right leg. Once the leg was gone the rest of the body followed. Smith got fence paint on his clothes and dirt in his hair. It was all over in about five seconds.

Newcomer David Husband had problems from the get-go. As he came out of the chute he was belly down over the bull’s shoulders. There is no way to come back from that position and nowhere to go but down. On the way down he was hung and slung. He was drug until Tacker moved in for the save, then the night turned ugly.

Husband was hung on the bull’s right shoulder. Tacker moved in on the right side. Husband got loose and the bull turned toward Tacker. Tacker was pinned with no place to go. The bull put his head between Tacker’s legs and hooked him behind the left leg just above the knee. As the bull raised his head Tacker was raised above the fence. The bull shook Tacker off the horn and went off to do other bull business.

After getting dressed, Tacker discovered that he was bleeding. The horn had broken the skin enough to make a large spot on Tacker’s jeans. He is one tough bull fighter and just cleaned up and went home. He will be back for the next go-round.

Dillon Delaney was the last paid rider of the night. He made a solid ride on a solid bull, heard the buzzer and grabbed the fence for the dismount. He earned second place with 78 points and $244.

Two fun loving boys, J.T. and Bubba talked rodeo director Coleman Peveto into letting them ride as “mount outs.” Those are guys who just ride for no points and no money. It was appropriate since they would have earned no points and no money. Both rides may have lasted past three seconds, but not much more.

The next session of indoor, open bull riding will be Nov. 20. The same gang will be back for another go at the bulls.

Nov. 14 is another open rodeo at the new outdoor arena. It will be a full event rodeo with roping, bucking bronc, steer wrestling, bulls and barrels.

Action is great at these rodeos and the newly installed sound system makes the Longhorn arena the equal of any arena anywhere.